Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang, who will mandatorily retire on Sunday, Jan. 9, after serving the judiciary for 27 years, decided to forego the traditional retirement ceremonies and opted, instead, to have a hybrid mass on Friday, Jan. 7.
Justice Carandang was the ponente or author of the SC decision which declared constitutional the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020, except two items in two provisions.
The ATA decision is not yet final. Most of the petitioners against the law have declared their intention to file motions for reconsideration.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo and Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Remedios Salazar Fernando were among those who attended the mass held at the SC’s Training Center and paid tribute to Justice Carandang.
Those who also attended and paid tribute to the retiring magistrate were SC Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe and Associate Justices Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Jhosep Y. Lopez, and Jose Midas P. Marquez.
The SC chiefs of offices and other court officials also attended the online mass.
The SC’s public information office (PIO) said Justice Carandang thanked everyone who helped her navigate her judicial career for 27 years.
“I thank God for all the graces that He has given me and my family. I wish to thank my staff for helping me navigate my three years stay in the SC,” she said.
She also thanked her fellow SC justices “who have given me guidance, inspiration, and help para magawa ko ang dapat sa (so I could accomplish what should be done for) SC.”
She pointed out: “We have to remember that this institution is the last step, huling baitang, na tinitingala ng tao (last step in the judicial ladder which people look up to) to be able to get justice, fair treatment, and humane treatment. Sa aking panunungkulan for the last 27 years, sa araw-araw (in my work for the last 27 years and everyday), I asked the help of God to always guide me.
She also said:
“People who do not know me might misunderstand me. Na ako ay napaka-istrikto. Taong hindi ngumingiti, taong hindi bumabati (That I am very strict, I seldom smile, and I do not greet anyone). The most that I can do is to raise my hand to acknowledge greetings to me.
“But I tell you, sa lahat ng lawyers ko (to all the lawyers assigned to me) who stayed with me for the longest time in their careers, I wish that each one of you has learned from me.
“Because we did our work together. We learned to work with one another. I learned from you, and you learned from me.”
The PIO’s statement said that Justice Carandang was born in Ilog, Taal, Batangas, Justice Carandang to public school teachers Sixto and Loreto Carandang. She was a consistent valedictorian from grade school at San Luis Elementary School, to high school at Batangas West High School.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science at the University of the Philippines, the same university where she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree, and graduated cum laude and class salutatorian of 1975.She placed 9th in the 1975 Bar Examinations.
Before she joined the Judiciary, Justice Carandang worked for private financial and government institutions.
In Dec. 1993, she was appointed presiding judge of the regional trial court of Manila, Branch 12, where she also served as one of its vice-executive judges.
She was appointed CA associate justice March 2003. In 2018, she was promoted to the SC.